Daily Prelims Notes 1 October 2021

October 1, 2021
Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
Category: DPN

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Daily Prelims Notes

1 October 2021

Table Of Contents

1. Heroin seizures from Arabian Sea

Subject – IR

Context – 3,000 kg heroin was recently seized from Mundra port in a shipment originating from Kandahar

Concept –

Lockdowns including on global air and maritime traffic resulted in fewer seizures in 2020 than in 2019 (see graph based on USODC report), and smaller sized individual seizures.
- But poppy cultivation, harvest and heroin manufacture remained unaffected by the pandemic.

In 2021, the number of seizures and their size has increased, especially since April. The regularity of bigger consignments may reflect the effect of uncertainties in Afghanistan from the time US President Joe Biden announced the departure of troops by August 31.
Poppy cultivation is controlled by the Taliban and was one of their main sources of revenue when fighting the Americans. Recent seizures may indicate syndicates are trying to clear out large quantities.

Golden Crescent and Golden Triangle –

2. Canada marked first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation this year

Subject – IR

Context – Canada marked its first ever National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on Thursday to honour the lost children and survivors of the country’s indigenous residential schools, their families and communities.

Concept –

Canada marked its first ever National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on Thursday (30^th Sept, 2021) to honour the lost children and survivors of the country’s indigenous residential schools, their families and communities.
The aim of the holiday is to educate and remind the citizens of the history of indigenous children and remember their suffering. All citizens were encouraged to wear the colour orange to highlight how indigenous children were robbed of their culture and freedoms.

3. Financial Sector Regulators

Subject – Economy

Context – Financial sector regulators must foster competition: CEA

Concept –

Financial sector regulators must adopt a “developmental” mindset to increase access and encourage competition in the sectors that they oversee, whether it be mutual funds, pensions or insurance, Krishnamurthy Subramanian, Chief Economic Advisor to Finance Ministry has said.
While we have over 40 mutual fund houses in the country, top 4-5 account for 70-80 per cent of the inflows. That is not indicative of a sector that is competitive.
The Global Fintech Fest 2021 was organised by Fintech Convergence Council (FCC) and Payments Council of India ( PCI), of Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI).

Financial Regulators in India

SEBI: The market regulator in the Indian capital market is the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI).
IRDAI: The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority (IRDA) does the same for the insurance sector.
RBI: Reserve Bank of India (RBI) conducts the country’s monetary policy.
PFRDA: Pension Funds Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) regulates pensions.
MCA: Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) regulates the corporate sector.

4. Atomic Energy Regulatory Board

Subject – Government Bodies

Context – The Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) has granted consent for the establishment of Away From Reactor spent fuel storage for the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project’s units 3 and 4.

Concept –

The Atomic Energy Regulatory Board was constituted on November 15, 1983, by the President of India by exercising the powers conferred by the Atomic Energy Act, 1962 to carry out certain regulatory and safety functions under the Act.
The regulatory authority of AERB is derived from the rules and notifications promulgated under the Atomic Energy Act and the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.
The Atomic Energy Regulatory Board is the primary institution tasked to look at issues regarding everything related to nuclear safety.
The Mission of the AERB is to ensure the use of ionizing radiation and nuclear energy in India does not cause undue risk to the health of people and the environment.
AERB’s headquarters is in Mumbai.
Currently, it consists of full-time Chairman, an ex officio Member, three part-time Members and Secretary.

5. Nuclear Power Corporation of India limited

Subject – Government Bodies

Context – Spent fuel storage cleared for Kudankulam units 3 & 4. Nuclear Power Corporation proposed it at the site where 2 x 1,000-MW units 1 and 2 are in operation.

Concept –

The Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) is an Indian public sector undertaking based in Mumbai, Maharashtra.
It is wholly owned by the Government of India and is responsible for the generation of nuclear power for electricity.
NPCIL is administered by the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE).
NPCIL was created in September 1987 under the Companies Act 1956, “with the objective of undertaking the design, construction, operation and maintenance of the atomic power stations for generation of electricity in pursuance of the schemes and programmes of the Government of India under the provision of the Atomic Energy Act 1962.
All nuclear power plants operated by the company are certified for ISO-14001 (Environment Management System).

To know about Nuclear power plants in India, please click here.

To know about Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant, please click here.

6. Press Council of India (PCI)

Subject – Government Bodies

Context – PCI panel to probe ‘harassment’ of scribes

Concept –

The Press Council of India was first set up in the year 1966 by the Parliament on the recommendations of the First Press Commission.
Aim: To preserve the freedom of the press and maintain and improve the standards of the press in India.
The present Council functions under the Press Council Act, 1978. It is a statutory, quasi-judicial authority functioning as a watchdog of the press, for the press and by the press.
Composition: The PCI consists of a chairman and 28 other members.
- The Chairman is selected by the Speaker of the Lok Sabha, the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha and a member elected by the PCI.
Powers: It adjudicates the complaints against and by the press for violation of ethics and for violation of the freedom of the press, respectively.
- The Press Council of India is responsible for enquiring into complaints received.
- It may summon witnesses and take evidence under oath, demand copies of public records to be submitted, even issue warnings and admonish the newspaper, news agency, editor or journalist.
- Decisions of the PCI are final and cannot be appealed before a court of law.
Limitations of PCI:
- They cannot penalize newspapers, news agencies, editors and journalists for violation of the guidelines.
- The PCI only overviews the functioning of print media. It can enforce standards upon newspapers, journals, magazines and other forms of print media.
  - It does not have the power to review the functioning of electronic media like radio, television and internet media.

7. Overseas Citizen of India (OCI)

Subject – IR

Context – NEET: OCI candidates can appear in general category

Concept –

An NRI is an Indian citizen residing abroad.
An OCI is a foreign national of Indian origin who is registered as an OCI cardholder under Section 7A of the Citizenship Act.

To know about OCI, please click here.

PIO VS OCI –

8. SBM-U 2.0 and AMRUT 2.0

Subject – Governance

Context – Urban missions to get big outlay

Concept –

The revamped versions of the Swachh Bharat Mission Urban (SBM-U) and the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch on Friday would include convergence with the corresponding missions for rural areas and outcome-based funding for cities.
The SBM-U 2.0 and AMRUT 2.0 aim at “saturation”, while the first five-year iterations of the schemes launched in 2014 and 2015 respectively focused on “transformation”.
While SBM-U focused on construction of toilets and making cities open defecation-free (ODF), SBM-U 2.0 would aim to make the facilities better, reclaim all landfills and take processing of municipal solid waste to 100% from the present 70%.
Similarly, AMRUT 2.0 would aim to provide universal coverage of water supply to all 4,378 statutory towns, an increase from the goal of covering 500 cities under AMRUT.
Ministry would collaborate with the Jal Shakti Ministry to ensure convergence with phase-II of SBM-Rural and Jal Jeevan Mission for areas such as villages on the outskirts of cities that have both urban and rural features.
The two missions had been designed to make cities “garbage free” and “water secure”, for which outlays of ₹1.41 lakh crore for SBM-U 2.0 and ₹2.87 lakh crore for AMRUT 2.0 had been proposed.

9. Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA) 2010

Subject – Governance

Context – More time to renew FCRA registration

Concept –

The registration is mandatory for associations and NGOs to receive foreign funds.
Registered NGOs can receive foreign contribution for five purposes — social, educational, religious, economic and cultural.
The FCRA registration is renewed every five years.
The NGOs also have to compulsorily open an account with the SBI in Delhi to receive funds.

To know about FCRA, please click here.

To know about Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment, 2020, please click here.

10. Core sectors

Subject – Economy

Context – Core sector grew 11.6% in August

Concept –

To know about Core Sectors, please click here.

To know about IIP, please click here.

11. Fiscal Deficit

Subject – Economy

Context – Fiscal deficit touches 31.1% of FY target

Concept –

To know about Fiscal deficit, please click here.

To know about other Budgetary Terms, please click here.

12. Current Account Surplus

Subject – Economy

Context – Current account surplus slides to $6.5 billion in Q1

Concept –

To know about Current Account and BoP, please click here.